When Worlds Collide
by kennerdoodle
Summary: This was originally a one-shot "The Problems with Asking Out the Grey Eyed Girl', but a got a couple reviews suggesting to continue. How do mortals view the world of demigods? What happens when they get caught up in the drama of Heroes? AU fanfic, Annabeth and Percy OOC. Percabeth. Takes place after the Titan War, no Heroes of Olympus. Please R&R!
1. 1: Damion

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO **

**This is an AU fanfic, Annabeth and Percy OOC. What would Annabeth's life be like if she was still living in San Francisco? I resurrected a few characters in passing mention, because I'm the author and I can do that. There was no Heroes of Olympus or the Prophecy of Seven. **

Damion POV:

California. The sunshine state. There was something about the constant rays and warm breezes that made me love waking up in the morning.

That sounded way too poetic for me. I'm just trying to say I love San Francisco. Why is that so hard?

"Damion! School's in an hour!" My mum yelled at me from downstairs. I hustled around my room, throwing on a shirt and brushing my teeth. It's Friday, finally. I've been stretching this out all week, waiting for the right time. My teachers say I procrastinate with my school work, but that's nothing compared to how long I've been putting out asking one of my friends out on a date.

We usually walked to school together, so I pecked my mum on the cheek and rushed out the door. Within minutes, I was approaching her house. She lived there with her father and step-mother, as well as what she liked to call "the little maniacs", otherwise known as her half-brothers, Matthew and Bobby. I've never liked kids, but they were pretty cool.

I waited on the sidewalk for her to leave. Her bag was slung over her shoulder as she gave her brothers a hug. That was strange – it's not that she didn't love them, but she never showed affection like that.

"See you later, guys! Be good!" She called to them. They made kissy-faces at her before running back inside. She turned and rolled her eyes at me. "Little maniacs."

"Morning, Annabeth." She smiled in return, her honey-blond hair pulled up in a ponytail. "Finally, Friday, the week's been so long!" I said in a desperate attempt to start a conversation. I was tempted to ask about her brother's faces. Maybe they thought there was something between us?

Her stormy grey eyes shone happily. "Yeah, thank gods," She was always saying that – gods. I never bothered to ask her about it. "This week has gone by sooo slow." She said, emphasizing dramatically. She looked almost as giddy as she did the day before winter break. She looked so pretty, her skin glowing in the morning light.

Annabeth seemed lost in her own world as we walked to school. I didn't really take it personally. She tended to fall out of things, like she was thinking about way too much at once. She tugged on her beaded necklace absent-mindedly. She did that a lot now. Before last winter, she had the beads and a college ring on the cord, but now there was an added seashell. It was small and blue, and looked very delicate. When I asked her where she got it, she looked a little dreamy.

"Oh, it was a Christmas present."

We neared the school where are friends were already situated in our group outside the main doors. Chrystal waved cheerfully at us, beckoning us over.

"We were just talking about the next soccer game. When is it again?" She asked me. I was the co-captain of the team, along with Chuck, my best friend. Our team was one of the best in the league, and the final game was approaching.

"Sunday, I think. They keep changing it because of damn weather forecasts." I replied. "Are you coming?" I asked her. Chrystal smiled back.

"Of course!" I saw her glance at Chuck, and I met Annabeth's eyes. She grinned back at me. It was obvious that Chrystal had a thing for Chuck, and I had seen him stealing glances at her. Annabeth would watch them critically.

"My friend Silena would love this." Annabeth said quietly, as if she was just talking to herself.

"Who?" I questioned. I'd never heard of Silena before. Annabeth sighed.

"She's a friend from camp. She's all over cute couples." We never really talked about things outside of school, but it was common knowledge among our group that Annabeth would leave for some camp across the country ever summer. She didn't really talk about it much, and rarely brought it up in conversation.

The bell finally rang after the long chatter that Annabeth and I listened in on. She didn't seem like she was all that in to talking about regular stuff today. There was definitely something on her mind, but I tried to ignore it. This was going to be a big day, and I did not want to wreck it.

Mt first approach was asking about the soccer game. "Hey, Annabeth!" I called out to her. She was walking down to her advanced calculus class, textbooks in hand. Another thing Annabeth really has going for her is her brains. Don't let the California blond hair fool you – she is a genius.

She turned at looked at me, smiling slightly. "Yeah?"

"Are you coming to the soccer game?" She bit her lip, pausing before answering.

"I'm not sure, Damion. I'll get back to you on that." After she turned around to get to class, I felt kind of deflated. Why would she not come to the game? It was the final! She had to be there!

So, approach number two: ask her what she's doing this weekend.

Lunch couldn't come fast enough. For the first three periods, I only caught glances of her in the halls, her ponytail swishing behind her as she looked rather distant. We didn't have a class together until Advanced Greek, the last subject of the day. You wouldn't think that's a subject, but surprisingly, a lot of students are interested in ancient Greece.

At lunch, she sat in her usual place at our table, but slightly backed up. She didn't really talk much, and kept glancing at the clocks for the time. She kept fingering the seashell as she ate.

"Oh, Annabeth, you should've been there, it was classic…" Chrystal went on to tell Annabeth about Juliet Mason falling asleep during Standard Greek. Annabeth laughed on cue and looked intrigued in the story, but I could tell her mind was much farther away from the chatter. Finally, there was enough lull in the conversation around her that I could lean forwards.

"Hey, Annabeth," She smiled at me. God, I loved that smile.

"Yeah?"

I took a deep breath. "I was wondering if"- at that moment, the bell very rudely rung, stopping me from finished my sentence.

"Gotta go, Damion. Mrs. Stanford will kill me if I'm late to English. Talk later, okay?" She said, already grabbing her things. I sighed, slowly picking up my books. I still had Greek to ask her.

The bell for last period sounded, and I made my way to Annabeth's locker so I could "just happen" to run into her on the way to class.

"Oh, hey!" She said, giving me her dazzling smile. A curl of hair had fallen out of her ponytail and was tickling her face. Every fiber of my being wanted to do what guys always did in those sappy romance movies – slowly sweep it behind her ear, staring into each-other's eyes… I've been sitting around my mum's soap operas for way too long. The curl bounced as we turned and headed to class. She was still playing with her necklace.

"Are you nervous or something, Annabeth? You keep pulling your necklace." I came to realize ages ago that she usually did that before exams or other high-pressured situations, like the last day of school or before her last track meet.

"Hmm? Sorry, Damion, I just have so much on my mind!" A small smile was playing on her lips as we sat down in class. The teacher had projected a new picture onto the blackboard. Annabeth looked highly amused by it, biting her lip like she was holding back a laugh.

"Now, the myth of Circe is one not many people are familiar with. Can anyone give me anything they may know?" The teacher looked amused, like he knew no one knew who the hell Circe was. Annabeth, however, raised her hand. "Yes, Miss Chase?" He asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Circe was famous for developing potions and using witchcraft. She turned her enemies, particularly men, into animals, and some believe she was the daughter of Hecate, the goddess of magic." Annabeth said, still looking highly amused. The teacher looked taken aback.

"Um, correct, yes," He said, flustered. "So, to go into further detail…" Annabeth had already lost interest. I watched her as she started to doodle in her notebook. She had been doodling more and more often recently, and she wasn't too bad, either.

Right now, she was outlining a sketch of the Empire State building.

"That's pretty good," I complimented quietly, pointing at the sketch. She blushed slightly.

"Oh, this is nothing. Rachel is so much better." She said, smiling to herself. I assumed Rachel was another friend from "camp". Usually, anytime she mentioned a name I didn't recognize, it was "a friend from camp".

Eventually, the teacher left us to read over a few pages in the textbook. Everyone turned to their friends and started chatting. I decided to take my opportunity.

"Hey, Annabeth, I'm still not quite understanding this whole 'Circe' thing. Do you think you could tutor me or something tomorrow?" I was relieved that she was still leaning over her notebook, because I felt a blush leak into my cheeks.

"Oh, um," She stopped drawing and looked at me. "I'm not sure, Damion. Maybe Kelly would be better – I have some plans lined up."

"Maybe you could, cancel a couple, to squeeze me in?" I flinched at how petty that sounded.

She sighed. "I'm really sorry, Damion. I would love to help you out," My heartbeat quickened slightly at 'love', "but I can't cancel. Like I said, though, Kelly really knows her stuff."

I wondered if Annabeth knew I liked her, or was just oblivious to it. She was smart, and could read people really well. I had a bad feeling she knew what I thought about her, and was skirting around it.

"Well, maybe we could hang out after school?" She bit her lip again.

"I can't. Really, really busy."

I tried not to let my frustration and disappointment show. The bell rang, and we both stood. Annabeth was looking very distant, and started to walk away quickly. I caught up with her before she could completely leave my sight. "Well, I'll walk you home, anyway."

She didn't look at me, but craned her neck to see the front door. I matched her pace as she skirted through the flow of students. "I have a ride, actually. Thanks anyway!" She wasn't looking at me anymore, though.

Instead, she started to jog forward, obviously seeing something I didn't. There was a crowd of students around the parking lot, heading to their cars. One kid was leaning against a lamp post, with messy black hair and a worn orange t-shirt. There was writing on it, but it had long since faded.

I followed Annabeth, but stopped short. She had run into the dude's arms, pulling him into a hug.

"Hey, Wise Girl," He said, smiling down at her. I saw her face light up into a grin like I had never seen before. "Seaweed Brain." She replied before pulling him down into a kiss.

A kiss? No. That's not right at all.

"It's been forever, Annabeth!" He said when they broke apart. She laughed.

"We only talked like, three days ago." He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. Talked. Not that same as this." He said, smiling before leaning down to kiss her cheek. I noticed the guy had a similar necklace to Annabeth's. He glanced up and seemed to just have noticed me. A confused expression appeared on his face, like he didn't understand why I was standing there, watching them. I didn't really know why I was, either. It was kind of just torture, to watch the girl of your dreams kiss a guy you've never seen before.

"How did you survive the flight here?" Annabeth laughed, obviously not noticing me yet. The dude looked back at her and winked.

"I don't do 'flying', Wise Girl. Mrs. O'Leary helped me out." She laughed.

"Oh, yeah, Seaweed Brain. That must've been subtle."

"Hey, I was careful!" He said in mock defense. "I didn't even need Nico's help." He said with pride. She laughed again.

"Where is she, anyway?" Annabeth asked, her eyes examining the car park.

"Not here. I got her to just roam free for a while. Come to think of it, she's probably back at camp already. Beckendorf was forging her a new bone before I took her."

Back at camp? So was this guy a "friend from camp", too? Just how many other people did Annabeth know?

"How's camp going, anyway?" What, did this guy live at the camp?

He shrugged, pushing the stray curl behind her ear like I was so itching to do earlier. "Basically the same old stuff. I check in on the weekends every once in a while, before my mum decides I have too much homework piled up." He frowned for a second. "The Stoll's T. your cabin, by the way."

Annabeth looked furious. "That's it. You're taking me to camp right now, Seaweed Brain! When I get my hands on them…" He laughed and kissed her again.

"There's my Wise Girl."

The crowd of students was slowly thinning. Soon, it would just be me staring at the pair. The dude looked at me quizzically again. "Um, hey?" He said questioningly. Annabeth turned around and smiled at me.

"Hey, Damion. Percy, this is my friend Damion. Damion, this is Percy, my boyfriend." Percy grinned and held out a hand for me to shake. I felt like a robot, going through the motions but not actually taking them in. Suddenly, a loud, swerving truck rolled into the parking lot. The two grinned at each other. "Looks like she was paying attention to us." Annabeth said happily. The truck stopped in front of them, the engine slowly calming down to a purr. I didn't catch the driver – the windows were pretty dirty and blacked out.

All of a sudden, I was angry. I wanted to make this Percy guy feel the same way I do, and I don't want Annabeth to forget about me.

"So, can you still tutor me on Circe? Sometime next week?" I glanced at Percy as I spoke to Annabeth, waiting to see how he'd react. I was very surprised when he started to laugh.

"Annabeth here is a genius on all that stuff." Percy said fondly. That only infuriated me more. "I still get weird lettuce cravings thanks to her." Annabeth laughed again.

"And I can never look at guinea pigs the same way again." They both laughed loudly at that. She touched a bead on his necklace – the one with the weird gold square. "That was a good summer."

The engine of the car revved loudly. Percy rolled his eyes. "Someone's getting impatient." He said, looking at the truck like he was telling it to calm down. "We should be going before…" Percy glanced at me, "Before our ride ditches us."

"Sounds good," Annabeth agreed, looking at the truck. "Where did you, um…" She glanced at me, too. Percy seemed to know what she was saying though.

"In the park. It was pretty… secluded. We should be good, if we skip rush hour." Annabeth nodded, and they both started to walk away from the truck. It followed them, driving around dangerously.

"Sorry about missing the game, Damion! See you sometime next week!" She called back to me, smiling. Percy waved, too, and with that, they started to run downtown towards the park, the truck still swerving around them. I wondered for a second as to why they didn't simply get in the truck and drive to the park, but the entre situation was already weird enough.

If only I had gone to that camp… then Annabeth could be mine. I started to walk home, kicking stones sadly.

Meanwhile, unbeknown to Damion, the girl he loved and Percy Jackson were laughing as they followed Percy's pet hellhound down the streets of San Francisco.

**So, what did you think? Please R&R, and I'm curious – should I go on with this? Or leave it as a one-shot? Thanks, hope you liked reading it as much as I liked writing it!**


	2. 2: Chrystal

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO **

**This is an AU fanfic, Annabeth and Percy OOC. Originally called "The Problems with Asking Out the Grey Eyed Girl", I changed it from a one-shot to multi-chaptered short story. There was no Heroes of Olympus or the Prophecy of Seven. **

Chrystal POV:

It only took one Annabeth-less Monday and a very sad looking Damion to earn my suspicion. Usually, I'd greet the pair of them outside the school every morning to catch up on the latest gossip or compliment each other's hair styles (hey, we're girls, give us a break!). This morning, however, Damion walked up to us alone, kicking a rock and his hands shoved in his pocket.

Annabeth is one of my best friends. She's always nice and loyal, even if she's a little distant or easily distracted. Not to mention how many times she's helped me with my homework.

But she is mysterious, so when she wasn't with Damion this morning, there was an uneasy feeling in my gut.

Damion gave me a half-hearted smile as I approached him. "Hey, where's Annabeth? Is she sick?"

He shook his head. "No, her dad said she wasn't home yet."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Home from what?"

Slowly, the rest of our group started to notice the lack of the blond haired girl. Damion sighed, looked downfallen.

"Remember how out of it she was on Friday?" He asked me. I thought back. Now that he mentioned it, she was acting a little odd. She kept fingering that seashell on her necklace. But she was still Annabeth, laughing at my story with Juliet falling asleep in class. I nodded to Damion anyway. He took a deep breath, like he's rather not talk about whatever he was trying to spit out.

"I usually walk home with her after school, right?" I nodded slowly. "Well, not on Friday. She went off with some guy from that camp she talks about."

That sounded really suspicious, but I felt like there was a missing piece to this puzzle. "How do you know he's from that camp?" I asked.

Damion scratched the back of his neck, and for some reason there was a blush creeping on to his cheeks. "She kind of… introduced me. She said the guy was…" Damion paused. "Her boyfriend."

I almost dropped my jaw in surprise. That was unexpected. Annabeth rarely talked about the camp, whatever it was, and had never, ever, mentioned that she was in a relationship. You would think that would be something you would tell your friends about.

I mean, I was going to tell her about how Chuck kissed me after they won the soccer game yesterday, yet she was never planning on telling me that she had a boyfriend? I felt my friendship with Annabeth slightly lessen. It was like she had lied to me, which was ridiculous, because I had never asked her about being in a relationship before. Annabeth had done nothing wrong. She wasn't one to bring up her past in casual conversation. I felt slightly selfish. There was still an uneasy feeling in my gut, but it now wasn't about Annabeth's secret boyfriend. It was… something else…

I was about to ask Damion for some more details, but the bell rang. Usually I don't think about who I have and don't have classes with, but today I kind of regretting the fact that I would only see Damion at lunch today. No doubt by then that other people in our friend group would recognize her absence, too. I nibbled my finger nails. I still wasn't sure what that uneasy feeling was. Am I worried about her? I thought about that through first period. No, Annabeth is completely capable of handling herself. Do I just miss her? Through second period, I contemplated that. Sure, she is an excellent friend, but one day without her is bearable. Maybe I'm jealous, I thought during third. But I wasn't, not really. I (kind of) have Chuck now, and I never previously felt the need for a boyfriend.

At lunch, it hit me like a tonne of bricks. I was worried about what Damion was thinking. I had known for ages (and I mean ages) that he had a thing for Annabeth. She was obviously ignoring it, not interested in him as any more than a friend.

The way he looked this morning almost scared me, like he was more than jealous, but heart broken. I watched him closely at lunch as he picked at the cafeteria food.

There was something important I was forgetting about this situation. Why would having a boyfriend change the fact that she wasn't at school today? Wait. Didn't Damion say her father said she wasn't home yet? I had forgotten about that completely after I was hit with the fact that my little grey eyed friend was in a relationship.

"Hey, Damion?" I asked him, leaning across the table. He looked back at me. "Do you have any idea where Annabeth is right now?"

Damion looked back down at his tray for a second. "She said something about going back to camp." He mumbled so quietly that I thought I misheard him.

"Back where?"

"Camp. Where her… boyfriend had been."

I furrowed my eyebrows again. "Isn't that on the other side of the country?" Damion shrugged, crestfallen.

"Apparently that didn't matter."

I felt that Damion had just closed the conversation. For the rest of the day, I went from class to class, contemplating why Annabeth, top student, would skip a day of school. Maybe this boyfriend isn't the best influence on her, if he's the reason she's not at school.

As I ate dinner, I wondered whether or not Annabeth would be present tomorrow. Hopefully, I thought, because I want the details. Not that it's any of my business, really, but maybe she could spare a couple of moments to share.

I was sitting next to Chuck on the concrete steps up to the front doors of school on Tuesday morning when I saw Damion approach, alone again. I felt a wave of disappointment, but there was a new emotion on Damion's face when he grew closer.

"What's up?" I asked cautiously. He gave a non-committable shrug, but there was something on his mind. I saw a fraction of a scowl on his face. "Was she home today?" There was a pause, then Damion nodded. I was caught off guard. "Is she sick?" Damion shook his head no. What was going on? Why the hell isn't Annabeth at school? I would never have taken her as someone that would skip not one, but two days in a row, not to mention she was actually at home today!

It was at that moment that I saw a certain blond haired girl come around the corner, her face lit up brighter than a Christmas tree. I smiled at Damion. "So she is here today!" I started to stand and greet her, then drop about six hundred questions on top of her head, when something stopped me short.

A guy with messy black hair slung an arm over her shoulders. They were both laughing, and the guy was carrying Annabeth's textbooks. Across the street, some rowdy driver sloppily pulled their truck into a spot, then sat idling.

"Percy, you know I am completely capable of carrying my own books." Annabeth tried to sound stern as she looked at the boy, but she couldn't seem to keep the smile off her face. He winked at her.

"My mother raised me right, thank you very much." Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Speaking of my mother…" The guy started. Annabeth's cheeks turned pink.

"Your mother is possibly the nicest person in the world." Annabeth stated. The boy swept down and kissed her cheek. "Seaweed Brain." She muttered, trying to sound annoyed by his kiss but failed miserably. He laughed.

The pair of them grew closer to us, and I saw Damion look away. He looked angry, annoyed, and shattered at the same time. I don't think even he knew how much he loved Annabeth until he realized she couldn't be his. Annabeth looked up and saw me. She smiled, and pulled the guy along with her as she walked over to me.

"Hey, Chrystal." She said cheerfully. I smiled back, then looked at the guy. I saw him glance at the street where the truck was before looking at me. He grinned.

"I'm Percy," he said, holding out a hand. I shook it, inwardly smiling.

"Chrystal. Are you Annabeth's boyfriend?" I asked, deciding to get right to the point. He nodded, looking happy. Annabeth squeezed his hand.

Just then, the bell rang for school to start. "Think about it, alright Annabeth?" Percy asked her, giving her a light kiss.

"I will. What are you going to do all day?"

Percy winked. "Oh, I thought the harbour looked nice." He said nice, however, in a slightly sarcastic tone. Annabeth rolled her eyes yet again.

"Of course. Meet me after school, alright?"

Percy nodded, pecking her cheek one last time. "As usual, Wise Girl."

Annabeth looked happily at the retreating figure of her boyfriend. I seriously couldn't imagine a cuter couple. They looked so in love, as if they knew each other better than anyone else in the world. I made a mental note to quiz her about everything at lunch.

The first few periods couldn't have passed by slower. The teachers seemed to drone on even more so than usual. Finally, the bell for lunch sounded, and I whipped down to our table before anyone else could sit beside Annabeth. She was already crunching an apple, a book open on her lap.

"Hey, Annabeth!" I greeted cheerfully. She smiled back. "So… where were you yesterday?" She looked slightly vacant.

"Oh, I was at camp. I had a few things that needed to be taken care of." There was a shadow of a smile playing on her lips. At least it wasn't her boyfriend that kept her from school. I was starting to get the feeling that this "camp" was a much bigger part of Annabeth's life than I had thought.

Thinking back, she wasn't around almost all of last summer. She only came back a couple days before school started, and rarely used her cell phone, so I had lost contact with her. I was pretty worried about her, actually, because of the news broadcasts over the summer months. Freak storms, complete demolition of entire states, not to mention the train wreck that was New York.

"Did you meet Percy at camp?" I asked her, though I already knew the answer.

"Yeah, a few years ago he started to come to camp. It was only last summer that we finally started going out." She smiled at me. "He's a bit of an idiot and more trouble than he's worth." I was shocked at that statement. This is how she describes her boyfriend? She obviously saw the look on my face and laughed. "But he can be sweet, and funny, and we've been through a lot together." She continued to explain. I felt like there were a lot of back stories to go along with this bond, but I didn't want to push it. Across the table, I saw Damion looking angrily bitter. I was almost afraid he was going to lash out. Instead, he started to pry.

"What kind of stuff did you go through?" He asked Annabeth rather rudely. She looked up at him.

"It's rather… difficult to explain. And kind of personal, Damion, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up." I glared at Damion.

"It's fine, Annabeth. Is he staying in town for a while?" I asked her, steering to conversation away from the past and into the present. Annabeth chewed her lip.

"We're not sure. He should be helping out at camp, but we're waiting until I make my decision." She replied, looking down at her apple. I wondered what this decision could possibly be, if it was keeping Percy from going back to wherever this camp was.

"Hey, Annabeth, where is your camp?" I asked casually.

She answered as if she'd been asked this often. "Outside of New York." I widened my eyes.

"Were you there when the city was hit by that storm?" I had seen the news broadcasts, and I couldn't imagine what the city could possibly look like – the TV only shows you so much.

I can see she's trying to hide some sort of intense emotion – sadness, maybe? "Yeah. We were there." She answered bluntly. Just then, the bell sounded. "I should go… talk later, okay?" With that, she retreated down the hallway, ponytail swinging.

I walked with Damion – his class was beside mine.

"Are you okay?" I asked him, genuinely concerned. I didn't like my friends hurting.

He ground his teeth. "I'm fine. I just…" He didn't need to finish his statement. I already understood what he may not. I gave him a side hug.

"Don't worry, Damion. It'll be alright." He nodded, not believing me, and we parted ways for our next class.

I'm not sure which I heard first – Annabeth shouting at people to move, or the spine-shivering growl. It was the last break between classes, and everyone was mulling around, making their way to lockers or bathrooms. I had just exited the classroom when Annabeth pushed me to the side. Her eyes were wild and cheeks pink.

"Chrystal, I have to go. If you see Percy after school, tell him"- She was interrupted by another growl that tore at my eardrums. Annabeth looked pained. "Tell him I said yes and that I'm heading back to the park. Thanks"- The growl this time was louder, like whatever was making the noise was growing closer. Annabeth said something I didn't understand – in a different language, maybe? "Got to go! Tell him, okay?" She was already running down the hall, pushing kids out of the way. I saw her pull – was that a knife? – from her bag, as well as a baseball cap. When I looked around the corner for her, she was already gone, the back doors still swinging open.

I don't even know what happened during the last block, I was so busy worrying about Annabeth. Whatever had happened, it seemed really unsafe and very, very urgent. I wanted nothing more than to run to her house and check if she was home, but she had asked me, almost pleaded, that I wait for Percy. As I stood outside, eyes sweeping across the car park for a sign of Percy, Damion approached me.

"Do you know where Annabeth is? She wasn't in Greek." He was visibly worried, and I was unsure if I should burden him with the truth. But he is my friend…

"She had to leave before last period. She told me to wait for Percy…" I didn't quite know how to describe the situation. Damion already looked panicked. He hadn't even seen what had happened, but he must have seen the fear on my face.

"Is she okay?"

"I don't – Percy!" I shouted, running down the steps towards the boy with messy black hair. He looked at me quizzically, but seemed to be piecing together the situation.

In a forced calm tone, he spoke to me. "Hey, Chrystal. Where's Annabeth?" He was tapping a pen against his leg, his sea green eyes piercing me for an answer.

"She had to leave earlier – she told me to tell you she says 'yes'," Percy's face was a strange combination of delight and terror, "and to meet her at the park"- The boy was gone before I had a chance to finish.

"Thanks, Crystal!" He yelled at me over his shoulder. Suddenly, Damion started to run after him.

"Damion!" I called, shocked. "What are you doing?" But I already had guessed. He thought Annabeth was in danger, and looked like he was determined to help. I wanted to tell him Annabeth could take care of herself, that Percy had it under control, that it may not even be too big of a deal, but my body acted before my brain. In no time, I was chasing after the two boys.

This was definitely not going to end well.

**So, yeah, this was originally a one-shot – "The Problems with Asking Out the Grey Eyed Girl" – but I got some reviews suggesting me to continue the story. I'm still not sure about it – what do you guys think? Please R&R, thanks!**


	3. 3: Damion

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO **

**This is an AU fanfic, Annabeth and Percy OOC. Thank you to everyone that reviewed/favourite/followed. This takes place after the Titan War. There was no Heroes of Olympus or the Prophecy of Seven. **

Damion POV:

_Annabeth's in trouble, Annabeth's in trouble, Annabeth's in trouble._

The mantra circled through my head as I ran after The Boyfriend. I always thought I was in good shape, what with intense soccer games and practices at least four times a week. But this guy could _run_. I heard Chrystal yelling behind me, probably telling me to stop, but I can't. Not if sweet, smart Annabeth is in trouble, and, judging by the look in Percy's eyes, trouble didn't even seem to cover it.

It was a cooler afternoon, so not many people were outside walking their dogs or roaming the streets. That was good for me, because, no matter how far ahead Percy was, I could still see his messy, coal black hair and orange t-shirt. At least I knew where he was headed – the park.

By the time I reached the grass, I was panting. How could this guy still be running? To my despair, I saw him duck into the thick trees. I was determined not to lose him – if I lost him, I would lose Annabeth. Forgetting my fatigue, I poured on the speed and bolted into the same clump of shadow Percy disappeared in. I felt like a rampaging bull. I was so loud it was embarrassing.

I pushed through a clump of bushes, only to fall flat on my face. I groaned and started to push myself up. How did Percy navigate through all of this? As I sat up, I heard someone come closer and closer to me. I tried desperately to think of a valid reason for being here – obviously it was Percy approaching.

"Damion!" I was surprised at the feminine voice calling for me. I felt a rush of excitement – maybe it was Annabeth! But, after the second "Damion!" I could tell it wasn't.

Chrystal reached me, her face red and masked with sweat. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" She hissed at me.

"I'm going to help Annabeth," I practically snarled in reply. She glared at me, looking both insulted and aggravated at me.

"Annabeth is perfectly capable of handling herself, and Percy has it under control." She told me in forced calm. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"So you aren't worried at all about Annabeth?" I said accusingly. I wished I could take it all back – I wasn't angry at Chrystal. She blushed, looking even more offended than before.

"Of course I'm worried about her – she's one of my best friends. But, Damion, I think whatever's going on here doesn't involve us. We shouldn't pry on these things." She said soothingly. I knew she was right, but that didn't stop me from standing.

That's when I heard the tearing growl and a feminine scream, followed immediately but a horrified "Annabeth!" Chrystal and I took a three second glance at each other before mutually agreeing to go forwards.

The sight before our eyes was one that absolutely terrified me. Annabeth laid crumpled on the ground, her head bleeding slightly. Percy was standing directly in front of her, looking absolutely furious. He was holding something that kept flickering. It looked like a baseball bat, but there was a shimmer of bronze, as though it was changing form.

But that wasn't the most horrific part. In front of Percy, I saw the source of the growl. Something massive that looked like a bull was staring at Percy, droll dripping down from his mouth. His back was hunched, as if prepared to pounce.

"Don't touch her!" He yelled at it. It snorted in reply. Neither of them were making a move, but Percy seemed to notice our existence. Slowly, he turned, making the bull face away from us and in no position to attack Annabeth.

"Chrystal. Damion. In my bag, there's some food that looks like brownies. When you get the chance, take them out and give one to Annabeth. Move her to the treeline and stay there." He said through his teeth. He never took his eyes off the bull, and the bull didn't seem to notice us. Yet.

Suddenly, Percy made a move. He rushed forwards, and the bull did the same. Just when I thought he was going to be trampled, he jumped upwards, kicking off the bull's head and onto its back.

Chrystal was already moving to the bag and searching through it for the food. I forced myself out of my stupor and rushed towards the still unconscious Annabeth. I dragged her to the trees where the bull wouldn't see her. Chrystal was right beside me, pulling out a zip-lock bag full of crushed brownie squares. I have no clue in hell as to how a brownie would help Annabeth, but I wasn't in a position to go against Percy's orders. Chrystal gingerly started to feed Annabeth, giving her little parts of the square. I saw Annabeth's forehead slowly refrain from bleeding, and her eyes started to flutter open. There was only a small part of the square left when Annabeth suddenly sat up. She looked around wildly, almost not even noticing us. She took the last of the brownie from Chrystal's mouth and, by the time she swallowed, her face was visibly less pale and forehead almost completely cleared.

What the hell just happened?

She stared at us looking like her mind was moving at a million miles an hour. "Where's Percy?" She finally asked. Chrystal pointed wordlessly to the clearing where we could still hear Percy and the bull snarling at each other. Annabeth immediately sat up and made a move to go back to him. I grabbed her arm to stop her.

"No, Annabeth! It's way too dangerous!" She gave me an expression I had never seen on her before – fury.

"Damion. I don't have time for this." With that, she pulled her arm away and jumped back to the clearing. Chrystal and I moved forward and watched the scene unfold in front of us.

Annabeth was gone, and Percy was trying to hit the bull with his bronze baseball bat. Suddenly, there was a howl, and the bull's leg gave way under him, starting to bleed. Percy grinned and, while the bull was distracted, hit him hard across the back of his neck.

Then, of course, as if this couldn't get any weirder, the bull disappeared. And, just to improve the weirdness, Annabeth reappeared in front of Percy.

"Not bad, hero," She said with a smirk. He winked back at her.

Then they both turned towards us. I felt like a kid who was caught with his hand in a cookie jar. Chrystal stood and started to slowly walk towards them, her face pale. I copied her.

Chrystal's voice was shaky as she asked, "What the hell just happened?"

The pair ignored her question completely. "What in Hades' name are you doing here?" Annabeth asked angrily. Chrystal and I glanced at each other.

"Um… Annabeth, you were obviously in trouble! We couldn't just… leave you…" Halfway through my speech I realized just how stupid that sounded. 'We couldn't leave you in the hands of your very capable boyfriend, whose baseball bat has also magically disappeared.' That doesn't sound insulting in the least.

Percy looked frustrated as he ran his hands though his hair, making it even messier than before.

Annabeth glared at us. Finally, she turned to Percy and struck up a conversation in a low undertone. I just managed to catch what they were saying.

"I have to go with you now. I'm only attracting more when I stay here. I mean, I had to leave school to kill a hell hound halfway through the day! Not to mention the reconstruction and everything that's happening at camp…" Annabeth said, her voice trailing off.

"I know. It's too dangerous. Especially now, with what just happened. You'll be safe – er – safer, anyway, in New York. They've almost completely stopped coming into Manhattan, you know, after last summer. And the mortals are more protected – we have more campers in the city now to defend them. Here… even though Mount Tam fell, they can still come for you and the mortals."

"Yeah, I don't really have a choice now, anyway. And your mum's still good with it?"

I could practically hear Percy roll his eyes. "Annabeth, she loves you. I'm pretty sure she's already set everything up by now, whether you were coming or not. She has a whole room full of all your designs and blue prints."

"Now, we just have this problem…" She glanced at Chrystal and me. At that moment, I knew we were in deep trouble. From the way Annabeth said 'problem', I felt by stomach drop.

"They'll be attracting more now. Do you know if they have the Sight?" Percy asked.

"Well, neither noticed Mrs. O'Leary, so I doubt it. And besides, they're taking this way too calmly. If they could see through the Mist, this would be a lot different." Taking this way too calmly? I wanted to yell at Annabeth that this whole situation is freaking me out! With one glance at Chrystal, I knew she was thinking the exact same thing.

"Taking this way too calmly?" I shouted. They looked at me. "Annabeth, I just saw your head heal by taking a bite of a brownie, and your boyfriend just killed a rampaging bull with a bronze baseball bat! That is not normal. What is going on?"

Percy had a shadow of a smile. "Bronze baseball bat? Yep, they don't have the Sight."

"Agreed." Annabeth said, nodding. "That's helpful, at least. But now that they've made contact with all of us, they are at risk."

Percy opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut off by an inhumane growl. Chrystal screeched, her face paling even more. "Is that the thing from school?" She squeaked. Annabeth and Percy locked eyes. Percy whistled loudly, while Annabeth tensed, looking in the direction of the growl. "Guys. Go back to the trees, but keep us in sight."

I couldn't help but notice how beautiful Annabeth looked, even with her jaw clenched and hair in tangles. She looked like a fierce warrior heading in to battle. Percy took the same position beside her, his bronze baseball bat back in his hands.

Suddenly, there was another noise, but it sounded more like a regular dog bark. Annabeth and Percy visibly relaxed. There was another howl, followed by a loud "Woof!"

Something massive jumped into the clearing. I had no clue what it was, but it was definitely being affectionate to Percy.

"Good girl! You took care of that hell hound, didn't you?" There was another playful bark that obviously came from whatever was in front of Percy. Annabeth, too, was laughing, but still tense.

"Someone's sending them. If I stay…" Percy nodded and started to climb up the thing, with Annabeth following closely. "I'll IM Dad – he can send my stuff later."

Percy and Annabeth froze. We were surrounded by the growling things. I could feel them getting closer. Chrystal beside me was looking like she was about to faint.

"They have to come." Annabeth said to Percy, who nodded grimly. He jumped down and gestured me and Chrystal forward. Chrystal robotically followed Percy's orders as he cupped his hands to push her up, while Annabeth grabbed Chrystal's arms. Percy was looking at me expectantly.

"Where are we going? What's"- Percy angrily interrupted me.

"Damion! Just get on!" The mix of anger and fear in his voice got me moving, and soon I was sitting with my arms around Annabeth's waist. "HOLD ON!" Percy shouted loudly over the increasing growls. Whatever we were sitting on lurched forwards, directly into the trees. Just as I thought we were about to die, I felt darkness engulf us. We were moving at a million miles an hour, and someone was screaming. Maybe it was me. However, just as soon as it happened, we were back on the ground. It was darker outside, like a couple hours had passed. Percy and Annabeth were already jumping off the… thing we were on. Now, it looked kind of like a truck idling on the side of the street.

Annabeth glanced around. "Thank gods you aren't too much of an idiot."

Percy held up his hands defensively. "I know better than to take mortals to camp!"

Annabeth half-heartedly glared at him. "Rachel?" She teased. Percy rolled his eyes.

"Blackjack, not me. Besides, she basically lives in that cave now." Percy glanced at the truck. "Thanks, Mrs. O'Leary," he said, patting the truck that slowly moved forward to nudge him. "She's too wiped to travel again." He said to no one in particular. "Hey girl, you can go back to camp, okay?" The engine in the truck died and the lights went out. "Eh, she'll be fine."

Chrystal cleared her throat. "Can you please tell us what's going on?" She asked the pair of them timidly. They glanced at each other.

"Look, guys, because you followed me, you got… trapped into something that really should never have involved you. Now, you're in trouble. Just for a little bit," Annabeth added hastily at the looks on our faces. "When we get to the cabin you guys can call your parents. Give them an excuse for not coming home tonight. I'm really sorry," She said to us, her eyes soft. I could tell she meant it. "But right now, as crazy as it seems, you're safer with us." Percy laughed lightly behind her, as though that statement was never one he thought he would hear.

"But what were those things? That bull? And what's that?" Chrystal pointed to the truck parked soundlessly on the side of the road.

"The less you know the better off you'll be. By tomorrow, you should be safe to go home." Annabeth replied. Percy put an arm across her shoulders and squeezed her comfortingly.

"Wait," I said slowly, putting together the pieces. "You're coming back with us, right?" Annabeth looked at me sadly.

"No, I'm not. It will be much safer for everyone if I stay here." Percy squeezed her again.

I felt angry. "Safer?" I laughed humourlessly. "Are you sure you're worried about safety?" Annabeth looked at me with confusion, but Chrystal seemed to understand what I was getting at. She grabbed my arm. "Damion," She warned under her breath, but I was on a roll. "I think you're only staying here because of him," I pointed accusingly at Percy, who looked slightly shocked. "That secret boyfriend of yours. All this is probably his fault anyway."

Annabeth looked highly affronted, and Percy seemed to be counting down from ten, trying to calm himself. At that moment, I wanted to take it all back. Every insult I threw at them, every accusation… but it was too late. My anger and jealousy had gotten the better of me, and I just lost one of my best friends. I doubted that 'sorry' would even cover it. Not to mention the fact that Chrystal was still, even in shock, level-headed beside me.

"Damion," Chrystal said gently, "I think we're dealing with something much bigger than relationships. Right now, I know that Annabeth and Percy just saved our lives, even if we don't know what they were saving us from. So, if Annabeth thinks it's best that she stays here, then that's okay. It's her decision."

Percy was now looking down the road at something. "The sun's setting, guys. We should get to the cabin." Annabeth nodded, and I reluctantly followed them down the road.

"Where are we?" I asked, hoping it was a safe question. There was a pause, then Percy answered.

"We're almost at Montauk Beach in New York. We have a cabin there for times like this."

**So, what did you guys think? Please R&R, I'd love some feedback on this! **


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